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This Healthier Instant Pot Coq au Vin is for those cold fall and winter nights when you want a fancy slow braised chicken, but you want it ready in less than an hour. All made in the instant pot (or the slow cooker), using simple, wholesome ingredients that you might already have on hand. This dish is warm, flavorful, hearty but healthy, and so delicious. Great for both a simple family dinner and holiday entertaining.
What better way to start Monday off than with an easier, healthier take on a fancy French classic? Especially one that involves cooking with red wine? Yes, this is a good Monday recipe.
Coq au vin is a family favorite. Every time I make it, I love it more and more.
Coq au Vin is the fancy French way of saying chicken braised in red wine. It’s a truly delicious and hearty recipe that’s perfect when served over mashed potatoes. Add a side of crusty bread to soak up all the flavorful red wine sauce…la perfection!
Today I’m simplifying the traditionally lengthy recipe by cooking this entirely in the instant pot in less than an hour. If you prefer to use the slow cooker I’ve included directions for that too, you choose. But by far, the most requests this past month have been for more instant pot recipes.
It seems as though everyone is getting on board with the instant pot. Which makes me happy, because I actually love it too. It definitely took me a while to get on the instant pot train. But once I got the hang of cooking with it, I quickly realized why everyone loves their instant pot so much. It’s kind of like cooking magic, and I do think it cooks the best chicken every single time…
Which is why I am excited for today’s recipe!
As mentioned, coq au vin is traditionally a French style chicken that’s slowly cooked in red wine on the stove top. Some recipes require four plus hours of cooking, multiple steps, a good amount of ingredients, and a lot of hands on time. That’s all great if we have the whole day to spend in the kitchen, but I totally get that most of us just don’t.
Enter this healthier, easier take on Coq au Vin that’s made entirely in the instant pot.
It’s simple, it’s quick, it’s flavorful…and just oh so good. The secret? A little bit of bacon, red wine, and plenty of fresh thyme (fresh herbs are my current obsession).
Here’s how you make it. You ready? It’s simple.
Cook up the bacon and get it nice and crisp. Add in the onions, garlic, and tomato paste, cooking until fragrant. Then add the wine, chicken and herbs. Cover and cook for a bit. In about 20 or so minutes, you’ll be done.
I know it sounds too good to be true, but I promise, it really is this simple.
A few notes.
Traditionally, coq au vin is made with whole chicken pieces. I used chicken breasts, which not only cook up quicker, but are also a lighter choice than skin on dark meat. The red wine helps to keep the chicken from drying out. The instant pot cooks the chicken until it’s perfectly tender and tastes as though it’s been slow cooked all day long.
It’s going to seem like a lot of wine to use, but trust me, it’s going to be great. The wine is the heart of the recipe, providing flavor while also helping to tenderize the chicken, so don’t skip it.
Highly recommending these mashed potatoes and a crusty side of bread. And for anyone looking for a simple stove-top version, check out this recipe.
Also? Maybe pour yourself a glass of wine while you’re cooking. It’s Monday and that just sounds like a nice idea…
If you make this coq au vin please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Healthier Instant Pot Coq au Vin
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 452 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2-3 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 thyme sprigs
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- mashed potatoes, for serving
Instructions
Instant Pot
- 1. Set Instant Pot to sauté. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. 2. To the instant post, add the onion, garlic, and tomato paste and cook an additional 5 minutes. Turn the instant pot off. 3. Add in the red wine, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, chicken, carrots, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. 3. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function. Set the Instant pot to sauté and bring to a boil, boil 5 minutes or until the liquid reduces slightly. Turn the instant pot off. Remove the bay leaves and thyme and discard. Stir in the parsley and reserved bacon.4. Serve the chicken and sauce over mashed potatoes.
Slow Cooker
- 1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. If there’s excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. 2. To the skillet, add the onion, garlic, and tomato paste and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to the bowl of your slow cooker.3. To the slow cooker, add in the red wine, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, chicken, carrots, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. 3. Once done cooking, cook, uncovered on high for 15-20 minutes to reduce the sauce. Remove the bay leaves and thyme and discard. Stir in the parsley and reserved bacon. 4. Serve the chicken and sauce over mashed potatoes.
This post was originally published on October 29, 2018
I’m a single gal in law school and I am always looking for fast, delicious recipes. This dish was INSANE! So damn good and definitely reminiscent of the dishes my French grandmother used to make me. Well done!!
Hi Nicole! I am so glad you loved this recipe and it worked really well for you! Also, I hope law school is going amazing!
First off, coq au vin is not chicken. It’s rooster. Or a tough free range chicken. Which is why it needs the longer time braising. It’s a tough bird.
Second, chicken breasts are not made for braising. You can submerge them in whatever liquid you want, it won’t keep them from getting stringy if you cook them for more than a few minutes.
Third you use bacon. Replacing thighs with breasts in a dish that has bacon doesn”t make it healthy. It’s just as fat.
But good pictures, which I guess is the only thing that matters.
Hi Mark! Thank you so much for this! It is really important to me that the recipe is delicious and I hope you try this out to see!
I am so glad I found your blog! Made the crock pot version of this today and it was delicious with mashed potatoes and broccolini. Thank you!
I am so happy to hear that Allison! Thank you so much!
First of all, I don’t generally comment EVER on food blogs after doing a recipe. Maybe because it’s not usually worth commenting about. However, this is the first recipe from your blog I’ve tried (my boyfriend is French and I wanted to make him something comforting with the holidays coming up and his first holiday since his mom passed away over the summer). So I was thinking “Coq Au Vin” generally can be made in a slow cooker — and seemed like the easiest meal to make out of all the French meals lol. I was hoping this would turn out good and of course was doubtful, but good is an understatement. This recipe came out AMAZING! I just tried it this morning and I can’t stop dipping pieces of the baguette (I bought for him ??) into it. I am so excited to give it to him tonight! Thank you for providing such a wonderful, simple and incredibly delicious recipe. I stopped cooking for a while (because of a new job I started), but after making this, I feel invigorated to try so many more of your recipes!
WOW I am so glad you like this and I hope he loves it as well! Thank you so much!!
I prepared as directed with the exception of using boneless, skinless thighs. I sauteed for 8 or so minutes and it never reduced by much and the chicken pieces totally fell apart; I was afraid to boil for much longer. I was disappointed to not have a silky sauce but lots of liquid. The flavor was good but not near as pretty as yours. Thoughts? BTW, your turkey and white bean chili is in the crock pot as I type! Thanks!
HI! The chicken feel apart because thighs have more fat and fall apart easier than breast.
I recommend using an additional tablespoon of tomato paste if your sauce is not thickening. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy the chili! Thanks so much! xTieghan
I wanted to stop by and say that my whole family enjoyed this meal! My only question is, I followed the recipe exactly (instant pot version) yet it did not seem to have the same “thickness” as portrayed in your photographs. I even added a few more minutes to the reduction portion. Any tips or ideas?
Hey KatieZ! Try adding an additional tablespoon of tomato paste. This will make the sauce a little thicker for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions. SO glad you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Do you add the bacon back in at some point or is it used just for the grease?
Hey Martha! You should add the bacon to the chicken before serving. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! As I don’t have an instant pot (though I think it may be time to invest in one!) I’ll be using a slow cooker, so I was wondering if you had found cooking it low or high yielded better results? If you have any other slow cooker tips that would be wonderful!!
Thank you!
HI! If time allows, I always recommend low when using the slow cooker. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Just made this tonight in the instant pot, it is DELICIOUS! Boyfriend wants me to try it with beef sometime too…
I am so glad you loved this! Let me know how you and your boyfriend like it with beef, Rachel! Thank you!
This is so good! I made it for dinner guests last night and everyone loved it. I served it over mashed potatoes and it was perfection. We have a mushroom allergy so I subbed eggplant in their place. Thanks for this recipe, it’s a keeper!
YUM! I am so glad you and your guests loved this recipe, Liz! Thank you so much!
This tasted great. It did not thicken much after the 5 min boil so I added 1 T of cornstarch flurry to the liquid which helped a bit. I used a Spanish Rioja vs Cab as I had some open. Served on parmesan mashed potatoes. Thanks for an easy tasty instant pot recipe. Fitting for company.
Hi Danita! I am so glad to hear that you and your guests enjoyed this recipe! Thank you!
Hi, we enjoyed this recipe, good flavor. One question-my sauce was not thick at all, it seems thicker in your photos. I cooked in slow cooker and did let it cook open at the end, turned on high. Sauce reduced but still was very liquidy.Any recommendations?
HI! I recommend cooking the sauce in the slow cooker on high, with the lid off for an hour. The extra 30 minutes should thicken the sauce for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Hello ! I ran into your Instagram account today with this recipe.
I bought all the necessary ingredients that I didn’t have on hand, cut up chicken breast (I was in auto pilot mode and cut it up before I thought it thru!), and as my side- went untraditional and made collard greens (cooked with ACV, Brown sugar, and ham hocks)
I was so hungry I didn’t even wait for the whole thing to reduce. The flavors blended so well, I’m impressed. Will be following your Insta and blog now!
Welcome! I am so glad you found this recipe on my Instagram and loved it Evelin! Thank you!
I tried it in the slowcooker! It was sooo good! Thank You
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Murielle!
I would like to double this recipe for our family dinner. how long would i need to cook it in the instant pot if i double it?
Hi! How large is your instant pot? Doubling will effect the outcome of the dish. I am worried it could turn too liquidy if your instant pot is smaller.